Scientific Advances in STEM: From Professor to Students

Dear Colleagues, 

The aim of this article collection is to contribute to the advancement of the Science and Engineering fields and their impact on the industrial sector, which requires a multidisciplinary approach.

The University generates and transmits knowledge to serve society. Social demands continuously evolve, mainly as a consequence of cultural, scientific, and technological development. Researchers must contextualize the subjects they investigate to their application to the local industry and community organizations, frequently using a multidisciplinary point of view, to enhance the progress in a wide variety of fields (aeronautics, automotive, biomedical, electrical and renewable energy, communications, environmental, electronic components, etc.).

Most investigations in the fields of science and engineering require the work of multidisciplinary teams, representing a stockpile of research projects in different stages (final year projects, master’s or doctoral studies). In this context, this Topic offers a framework for integrating interdisciplinary research, drawing together experimental and theoretical contributions in a wide variety of fields. Topics of interest could include, but are not limited to:

General topics:

• Science and technology of materials;
• Physics and applied mathematics;
• Industrial and environmental chemistry;
• Analytic chemistry;
• Intelligent systems and electronic technology;
• Product design, development, and engineering;
• Computerized, robotic, and neuromorphic industrial systems;
• Computer architecture and technology.

Particular Themes:

• Coatings and nanostructured materials for solar energy applications (in particular for high-temperature concentrated solar power applications);
• Development of functional materials for additive manufacturing (i.e., applications in biomedicine);
• Advanced optical characterization or nano- and microstructures and thin films;
• Biopolymer-based superabsorbent materials from agro-food bioresidues;
• Biodegradable protein‐based polymer materials for the controlled release of micronutrients in horticulture;
• Interfacial rheology and its applications to protein-based emulsion processing and stability;
• Deep-learning systems for diagnosis, prevention, and pattern recognition;
• Bio-inspired systems for sensory fusion and control;
• Current advances in computer architecture;
• Artificial intelligence in smart cities applications;
• Energy forecasting and flexibility services;
• Advances in food and by-products development and characterization;
• New trends in sustainable cities and industries;
• Intelligent and sustainable optimization of industrial engineering projects;
• Multifunctional and smart toys for children with autism spectrum disorder;
• Weighting with life-cycle assessment and cradle-to-cradle (methodology for global sustainability design social and socio-economic life cycle assessment: towards quantitative methods in small and medium-sized enterprises);
• Work of separation in metal–metal interfaces;
• Emerging pollutants in the urban water cycle;
• Analysis of emerging pollutants in environmental samples;
• Design, manufacture, and characterization of WC-Co/WC-Co laminates;
• Wear and scratch resistance of porous materials for biomedical applications;
• Biomechanical and biofunctional behavior of porous titanium parts coated with hydroxyapatite using the sol–gel technique;
• Bioactive glass bilayer coatings on porous titanium samples.

Prof. Dr. Yadir Torres Hernández
Dr. Manuel Félix Ángel
Dr. Ana María Beltrán Custodio
Prof. Dr. Francisco Garcia Moreno